Body neutrality

As the term suggests, 'body neutrality' offers a middle way between the attitudes of body negativity present in lookism and body shaming, and the all-accepting approach found in body positivity and the fat acceptance movement. Avoiding "toxic body positivity" The psychologist Susan Albers explains that the affirmations required in adopting body positivity may feel inauthentic; with body neutrality, "Your value is not tied to your body nor does your happiness depend on what you look like. A body-positive approach says you are beautiful no matter what. Period". ==Development of body neutrality==

Body image is a person's perception of their physical self and their thoughts and feelings, positive and negative, as a result of that perception. With societal pressures, especially pressures linked to social media, impacting people's mental health due to body insecurity, body positivity might be challenging. Body neutrality seeks to lessen the relationship between a person's health and well-being to their physical appearance. body neutrality has offered some hope even for those who struggle to find any positive attitudes towards their physical self. Experimental studies indicate that even brief exposure to body neutrality content on social media can have beneficial psychological effects, improving body satisfaction and overall mood. ==Body neutrality in online communities and social media==

Overview Body neutrality is a topic of online discussion. This has been accompanied by research on how body neutrality is represented in online communities and what the consequences of that exposure might be. Research includes content analysis of platform discourse, randomized exposure studies, and digital intervention evaluations. Their research showed that body neutrality content often presents the body as normal and as something that is useful rather than just positioning it as an aesthetic object to be judged. Effects of exposure to body neutral content Researchers have not only described online discourse but also have undertaken experimental studies and research to assess the psychological impacts of exposure to body neutrality content. Seekis and Lawrence (2023) conducted a randomized controlled experiment with 189 undergraduate women. Subjects viewed TikTok videos that included either: body neutrality content, thin ideal content, or an art based control video. After controlling pre-test measures, the researchers found that women in the body neutral condition reported more satisfaction with their body and a higher appreciation for functionality compared to those in the thin ideal and control groups. Moreover, participants who viewed body neutral content also reported they felt better and didn't compare themselves to skinny people as frequently. People were more dissatisfied with their bodies after seeing 'fitspiration' posts and less dissatisfied after seeing body-positive and body-neutral posts. However, there were caveats about the emotional effects of exposure depending on the type of material and the measurements being used. However, the authors noted that there wasn't much evidence and the topic is in need of further research to understand changes happening during further follow-up assessments. The study said that exposure to this kind of content could be a low cost micro-intervention and also the effects were different across outcome measures. Framing by the public and media Credible media sources and peer reviewed research have described body neutrality as an alternative to body positivity for individuals who find it hard to maintain and keep close to their heart messages of self love. With research it has been evident that body neutrality shifts focus away from appearance towards what the body can do and how it functions and everyday experiences. ==Adopters of body neutrality==

Amongst body neutrality's better-known adherents is Erynn Chambers, a TikTok creator who has practiced body neutrality for multiple years. She states, "I don't want to hate my body, but I don't feel like a goddess either." Instead, people should appreciate what their bodies can do rather than the way they look. Bethany C. Meyers, another content creator who identifies as queer, has "dedicated their life to exploring themselves and what it means to love themselves and others". They created the project 'be.come' to encourage confidence without intimidation, through their own transparency. Others include body neutral creators include Gabi Gregg and Stephanie Yeboah. ==Bibliography==